Speak Up
by lostinthewords
Summary: It takes strength and courage to speak up. 3x18 insert.


_A/N: Not really sure what this is, just a little ramble based on last night's episode. I couldn't get the scene of Alison and Jason in the kitchen after the dance especially the part about Henry so I just had to get this out. Please let me know what you think; reviews would make my life so much better right now._

Alison was furious, at Thad, Jason, her dad. Guys suck, they think they can do whatever they want without consequences. There's always some justification for why they did what they did or why it was okay. But it wasn't, why couldn't Jason see that? How could her dad seriously tell Jason not to do anything? Wasn't that part of ethics? Of religion? Helping those around you? Not hurting anyone. She may not have been physically hurt but that didn't mean their actions didn't leave a mark.

"How could you?" Alison yelled, stopping in front her dad.

Henry stared at his daughter confused. At first he thought she was still mad at him for taking a picture of Thad's license but one look at her told him it was something a lot more serious. His daughter was angry and hurt.

"You told Jason it was wrong to stand up to guys like Thad. Well, guess what it's not your place to speak for us. You don't know what it's like. You're not a girl. You've never had to deal with the stupid guys who think they can get whatever they want. _Whoever_ they want. And when you say no you aren't afraid of their reaction. Not only in the moment but what they say to their friends behind your back. You've never had to worry about false stories going around school, guys saying stuff happened when it didn't. Then suddenly you have every guy's attention because they think you're easy. Or the opposite. They tell everyone that you said no but blow it out of proportion. Then no one wants to date you because they heard you're a freak."

Henry reached out for her but she pulled away as she wiped the tears staining her cheeks.

"Don't. I don't think punching someone is the answer but the guys that say nothing; the ones who sit back and just let it happen are just as bad. Why don't you include that the next time you talk to Jason about how to react when you think he's handled a situation wrong. Or better yet don't speak for us. Let us speak for ourselves because we know what it's like. You don't."

Elizabeth watched the interaction from the bathroom doorway, her heart broke as she put together the pieces of the puzzle of Alison's rant, hearing everything she wasn't saying. She never wanted her daughter to go through this, to see this side of the world. She knew it was inevitable, she couldn't stop her from growing up. She wished this wasn't their reality in the first place.

Henry didn't move, he sat there processing everything Alison said. What the hell did that jerk do? It didn't matter he was going to kill him. The words echoed in his head, she did have a point. He didn't know what she went through, he's seen what Elizabeth has gone through over the years, a woman in a position of power dealing with the press framing her actions, people focusing on her physical beauty instead of her brains and the most recent incident with the President of Philippines. But Alison was right, he didn't know what it was like.

She pushed off the doorway when Alison left and slowly padded over to him. The weight of Alison's words hanging between them. "Babe?"

"I need to-" He sat forward, silently cursing his injuries preventing him from chasing after her.

Her hand rested on his shoulder, gently holding him down. "I got this one."

He sighed, she was right. Elizabeth was the one who understood.

Once she knew he wasn't going to fight her she kissed his forehead, squeezed his shoulder then went to comfort their daughter.

Elizabeth heard sniffles coming from the other side of Alison's door. "Noodle?" She called out softly while her knuckles tapped the door.

"You can come in."

Elizabeth saw Alison quickly wipe away tears before looking at her.

"I'm sorry for yelling at dad."

"In this situation we'll let it pass."

She looked at Alison, hunched over and pain in her eyes. Elizabeth thought of the 5-year-old girl that came home crying from her first day of kindergarten because the boys wouldn't let her be at the top of the jungle gym with them. Nothing had changed in the last 12 years.

"What happened?"

Alison shook her head and waved her off. "It's nothing, just stupid high school stuff." She'd heard of similar situations happening with other people. It would all blow over with time. That was part of the problem wasn't it? Girls just let it blow over and guys get away with it. No one actually calls them out on their behavior.

Elizabeth sighed and ran her fingers through Alison's hair. "Unfortunately, that behavior isn't just a high school thing. I never told you this but remember my trip to the Philippines a few weeks ago? During a meeting with President Andrada, he groped me and in response I broke his nose."

"That was you? I thought it was some guy at the gym."

"That's just what he told people. So, I'm not going to judge you, Ali. You're not talking to your mom right now, I'm just a woman who understands the struggle."

"Thad kept trying to take me into a bedroom at the after party. I wouldn't go with him but he wouldn't give up, when I finally told him to stop he got angry."

"I'm so sorry you had to experience that."

"If that wasn't hard enough apparently Jason overheard him talking in the bathroom about how much I wanted him and didn't say anything. He even tried to defend his silence by saying he was a senator's son and that dad told him no when he wanted to defend Stevie."

Elizabeth sat there in awe, both at what her daughter went through and how she handled it. She stayed firm in her choice, and didn't blame herself for any of it. Tonight was just another reminder her baby was growing up.

"I'm really proud of you."

"For what? Losing it on Jason and dad?"

"Well, no not the yelling part. But standing up for yourself. It's not an easy thing to do, it takes a lot of courage and strength to speak up. The strength and courage I don't always have."

"That's not true. You are the strongest person I know. I've seen it my whole life, you work and raise all three of us. You rarely missing big events except for a few here and there and I know you would've been there if there was anyway. You deal with the most brutal dictators, see horrible things, fought through the aftermath of Iran and came out on the other side. I have the strength and courage because of you."

Tears filled Elizabeth's eyes, she always hoped what she did was something her kids would be proud of but she never realized how much of an impact she made on their lives.

"I love you, noodle."

"Love you, mom."


End file.
